Promising but inadequately evaluated measures include:
Promising but inadequately evaluated measures include:
Marking the license plate to indicate ownership in the family of someone whose driver's license is suspended or revoked for alcohol offenses. 17
Passing and enforcing bans on open containers would probably reduce drunk driving by deterring drinking while driving. Surprisingly, some states have vehicular no open container laws. 18
Imposing graded or multi-tiered penalties based on BAC at the time of arrest. This policy is virtually universal with regard to speeding. 19
Restricting nighttime driving by young people. This appears to be effective in those states with such restrictions. 20
Electronically monitoring repeat DWI offenders. 21
Involving drivers in identifying and reporting possibly drunken drivers to law enforcement authorities by dialing 911 on their cell phones. See Help Police Stop Drunken Drivers
Requiring every state to provide adequate information on alcohol and driving to prospective drivers and adequately testing them on the subject in their driver's exams. In too many states, the subject is given only brief mention and do not include any information or testing in the process of obtaining a driver's license. Some actually provide factually incorrect information.
All of these very promising measures should be rigorously evaluated scientifically to determine their potential contribution to improving safety.
Measures of little or no value:
Incarceration. Jail or prison sentences for alcohol offenses, in spite of their great popularity, appear to be of little value in deterring high BAC drivers. In short, It appears that we can’t "jail our way out of the problem." 22
The perception of swift and certain punishment is more important than severity. 23
Large fines appear have little deterrent effect, according to research. 24
Increasing the cost of alcohol with increased taxation would have virtually no impact on reducing drunk driving. 25 Both research and common sense suggest that heavy drinkers are not deterred by cost and most minors who drink don’t pay for or purchase their beverages. 26
Improved roads and vehicles can contribute significantly to increased highway safety. Technological improvements include raised lane markers, which are easier to see and also emit a startling sound when a tire wanders over them. Similarly corrugations along the edges of roads emit a sound when driven over, thus alerting inattentive drivers to their inappropriate location. Wider roads, improved street and highway lighting, break-away sign posts, brake lights positioned at eye level, door crash bars, and many other improvements can save lives and be cost-effective.
Marking the license plate to indicate ownership in the family of someone whose driver's license is suspended or revoked for alcohol offenses. 17
Passing and enforcing bans on open containers would probably reduce drunk driving by deterring drinking while driving. Surprisingly, some states have vehicular no open container laws. 18
Imposing graded or multi-tiered penalties based on BAC at the time of arrest. This policy is virtually universal with regard to speeding. 19
Restricting nighttime driving by young people. This appears to be effective in those states with such restrictions. 20
Electronically monitoring repeat DWI offenders. 21
Involving drivers in identifying and reporting possibly drunken drivers to law enforcement authorities by dialing 911 on their cell phones. See Help Police Stop Drunken Drivers
Requiring every state to provide adequate information on alcohol and driving to prospective drivers and adequately testing them on the subject in their driver's exams. In too many states, the subject is given only brief mention and do not include any information or testing in the process of obtaining a driver's license. Some actually provide factually incorrect information.
All of these very promising measures should be rigorously evaluated scientifically to determine their potential contribution to improving safety.
Measures of little or no value:
Incarceration. Jail or prison sentences for alcohol offenses, in spite of their great popularity, appear to be of little value in deterring high BAC drivers. In short, It appears that we can’t "jail our way out of the problem." 22
The perception of swift and certain punishment is more important than severity. 23
Large fines appear have little deterrent effect, according to research. 24
Increasing the cost of alcohol with increased taxation would have virtually no impact on reducing drunk driving. 25 Both research and common sense suggest that heavy drinkers are not deterred by cost and most minors who drink don’t pay for or purchase their beverages. 26
Improved roads and vehicles can contribute significantly to increased highway safety. Technological improvements include raised lane markers, which are easier to see and also emit a startling sound when a tire wanders over them. Similarly corrugations along the edges of roads emit a sound when driven over, thus alerting inattentive drivers to their inappropriate location. Wider roads, improved street and highway lighting, break-away sign posts, brake lights positioned at eye level, door crash bars, and many other improvements can save lives and be cost-effective.